TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
@
THE DERBY!
ratiopharm Ulm @ Walter Tigers Tubingen
Saturday October 30th, 2010 8pm
Paul Horn Arena Tubingen, Germany
ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen share one of the best rivalries in Beko Bundesliga basketball. Saturday night at Paul Horn Arena in Tubingen, the two teams meet for the next edition of their exciting Derby. With both teams coming off big wins, Ulm and Tubingen enter Saturday nights game with momentum.
ratiopharm Ulm is focused for Saturday's road trip to Tubingen and the exciting Baden Wurtemburg Derby against the Tigers!
click here for regio-tv preview!
Every game against a rival is something special. No matter the league, the records or the roster changes, rivalries bring out the best from one another. Sharing the same German State of Baden-Wurtemburg and seperated by less than one hours drive, the rivalry between Ulm and Tubingen has developed over decades and now stands as one of the best rivalries in the Bundesliga. As with every 'Derby', Saturday nights game is a big game for both teams and is a special game anticipated by fans from both sides. Every game against a rival is something special. No game between rivals is ordinary. That means something extra-ordinary every time Ulm and Tubingen meet!
ratiopharm Ulm forward Coleman Collins!
Tubingen's 2010-2011 season tipped off with an 89-76 home loss to Phoenix Hagen October 2nd, 2010. Tubingen lost 68-63 in Trier October 8th before the Tigers picked up their first win of the campaign 84-76 home against Bayreuth October 17th. Last week, Tubingen picked up an impressive 87-68 road win over Ewe Baskets Oldenburg October 23rd at Ewe Arena. Even at 2-2 and on a two game winning streak, Tubingen enters Saturday's Derby feeling good.
ratiopharm Ulm point guard Per Gunther!
Tubingen's roster features experienced Bundesliga talent and quality players. Head coach Igor Perovic, a former Tiger point guard, guided Tubingen to a successful year in his first season and has reloaded the roster to make the next steps. Veteran point guard Branislav Ratkovica leads the Tigers attack setting the table for his teammates. Ratkovica averages 13ppg 2.5reb 7.8ast while hitting 6 of 12 three early this season. New forward Chris Oliver leads the team in scoring at 14.3ppg with 5.8reb as an energizing forward. Center Anatoly Kashirov has been a force in the paint giving the Tigers a strong 13.3ppg 5.8reb in the pivot. Sharpshooting postman Dane Watts returns to Tubingen producing a solid 12.8ppg 6.3reb hitting 40% from three. Shooting guards Radovan Markovic (7ppg 36%threes) and Joe Herber (4.5ppg 36%threes) give the team quality skills on the perimeter and backup point guard Whit Holcomb Faye has stepped in to contribute 3.5ppg 3ast from the bench. Veteran guard Jay Thomas is a solid team player and hardworking defender for Tubingen. Post man Ken Williams provides a physical inside presence and averages 5.3ppg 2.3reb for the Tigers. Nicolai Simon and Akeem Vargas round out the Tigers roster. Tubingen's inside-out balance has helped them to a good start into the 2010-2011 season.
ratiopharm Ulm center John Bryant!
One storyline of the Baden Wurtemburg Derby this season is the background between several players on the two teams. Growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, ratiopharm Ulm guard Walt Baxley and Walter Tigers Tubingen guard Whit Holcomb-Faye were best friends and middle school basketball teammates. They remain very close today. The two played together in the German Pro A last season with Saar-Pfalz Braves. Now, both players wear different uniforms on different sides of the Derby.
Ulm and Tubingen split a pair of exciting games in the Baden Wurtemburg Derby matchups in 2009-2010. In the season finale for both teams,
ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen have arguably the best rivalry in the Beko Basketball Bundesliga and Saturday nights season finale scripted the next fantastic chapter in the Baden Wurtemburg Derby. After former Ulm forward Romeo Travis finished his baseline basket cut with a strong 'And1' three point play, Tubingen positioned themselves for a win leading 79-77 with 10 seconds remaining. But ratiopharm Ulm saved their best for last as Robin Benzing sank the game-winning three pointer with 1.3 seconds to play sending Sportszentrum Kuhberg into celebration! Hitting a tough shot from the right wing, Robin put the perfect finishing touch to the 2009-2010 ratiopharm Ulm season --- an 80-79 last second win over rivals Tubingen.
click for 5-1-10 Ulm v Tubingen Baden Wurtemburg Derby Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm's Robin Benzing hit the game winning three pointer with 1.3 seconds to play lifing his team to an exciting 80-79 home win over rival Walter Tigers Tubingein in the season-finale Baden Wurtemburg Derby.
click here for May 1, 2010 Box score
click here for Sudwest Presse photo gallery from Ulm v Tubingen
click here for photo gallery from Ulm v Tubingen
click here for regio-tv report
After three straight road wins in Paul Horn Arena, ratiopharm Ulm came up short in the heated Baden Wurtemburg Derby earlier last season against rival Walter Tigers Tubingen Wednesday night December 30th, 2009. Starting strong, Ulm held a 17-16 lead after one quarter, but a second quarter Tiger run gave the hosts a 44-34 halftime advantage. Ulm trimmed the gap early in the second half, but a key Tubingen run helped the Tigers take control of the game late in the third. Christian Burns led Ulm's attack with 21 points 7 rebounds while Robin Benzing added 16. Tubingen protected their home court as the Tigers clawed Ulm.
click for 12-30-09 Ulm @ Tubingen Baden Wurtemburg Derby Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm's Austen Rowland draws contact from Walter Tiger Tubingen post player Dane Watts in the Baden Wurtemburg Derby December 30th, 2009.
Per Gunther drives to the basket in the December 30th, 2009 road game at Paul Horn Arena against Walter Tigers Tubingen.
ratiopharm Ulm post man Coleman Collins works in the paint against Tubingen defenders Romeo Travis and Alexsander Nadjfeji in the December 30th, 2009 Baden Wurtemburg Derby.
In 2008-2009, Ulm and Tubingen split Derby games with each team winning on the opponents home floor. ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen have a long history of fantastic games in their Baden Wurtemburg Derby. Saturday night April 4, 2009 98-95 overtime win for Tubingen at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm added the next exciting story to the traditional South German rivalry. ratiopharm Ulm's strong second quarter sparked by Sebastian Betz' energizing threes pushed the hosts to a halftime lead before Tubingen's second half comeback slowly trimmed the margin as Tiger big men Michael Haynes and Rasko Katic keyed the Tubingen attack. With 29 seconds remaining and the Derby even at 77, Ulm used their final timeout to set their strategy for the last play. A big Jeff Gibbs bucket gave Ulm a 79-77 lead with 7 seconds on the clock, but Tubingen's Branislav Ratkovica raced the length of the floor and slipped a crafty pass to Katic who tied the score just before the buzzer. In overtime, big baskets from Haynes and Tiger point guard Jermaine Anderson pushed Tubingen to a 91-84 advantage before Ulm stormed back behind scores from Jeff Gibbs, Keith Triplett and Dan Fitzgerald. A Lee Humphrey three point shot pulled Ulm within one at 95-94 with 42 seconds to play, but in the end Ulm's comeback attempt came up short. The exciting 98-95 overtime game was a fantastic example of the classic Baden Wurtemburg Derby and featured outstanding effort from both teams. Ulm was in position to win but it was Tubingen who took the intense overtime victory in a game filled with thrilling Derby Drama!
click for 4-4-09 Ulm v Tubingen Baden Wurtemburg Derby Game Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm's Lee Humphrey in action at Tubingen in 2008-2009!
ratiopharm Ulm won for the third straight season in Tubingen Arena, beating Walter Tigers Tubingen 84-77 Saturday night November 29th, 2008 in this seasons first edition of the Baden-Wurtemburg Derby. Powered by 400 loud orange-vested fans, Ulm overcame the loss of center Sean Finn to an early ankle injury with a strong team effort. Point guard Dru Joyce topscored with a season-best 25 point performance while Lee Humphrey drilled 5 three pointers on his way to 22 and Romeo Travis added a solid 21 point 11 rebound double double including a cool 9 of 10 from the foul line. While the team production on the floor was excellent, ratiopharm Ulm fans helped energize their team with tremendous enthusiasm inspiring the team to celebrate with the fans after the final buzzer. Earning their third straight win, ratiopharm Ulm's exciting road win over rival Tubingen was simply FAN-tastic!
Click for 11-29-08 Ulm @ Tubingen Baden-Wurtemburg Derby Game Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm storms the stands taking their 'Baden-Wurtemburg Derby' victory celebration to the fans Saturday night November 29th, 2008 at Tubingen Arena.
In the 2007-2008 season ratiopharm Ulm beat Tubingen twice in Bundesliga play. Ulm understood the meaning of Wednesday night April 23rd, 2008 Baden-Wurtemburg Derby against rival Walter Tigers Tubingen. Focused like the eye of the tiger, ratiopharm Ulm opened the first quarter on fire hitting 5 three pointers and used excellent transition basketball to build a 41-25 first half lead. But as with any excellent rivalry between archenemies, winning requires a complete 40 minute game. After a strong Tubingen comeback and 63-61 Tiger lead with seven minutes to play, ratiopharm Ulm responded to finish the game on a 17-7 run with big baskets from Jeff Gibbs, Dru Joyce and EJ Gallup to seal the win.
Click for complete Ulm @ Tubingen 4-23-08 Game Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm fans energized their team with loud crowd support during the 2007-2008 season in Tubingen.
January 5th, 2008 Walter Tigers Tubingen pushed to a 57-52 lead before finishing the third quarter up 61-58. A 10-0 Ulm run sparked by Bryan Lucas and EJ Gallup turned momentum in the fourth, but as with any great rivalry, Tubingen battled to the end. Ulm's All Star small forward Konrad Wysocki left the game due to a back injury in the first quarter but returned to inspire his team down the stretch in a special moment at Sportszentrum Kuhberg. Ulm's emotional win was celebrated by fans enthusiastically.
Click for Ulm v Tubingen Game Summary from January 5, 2008
Tracking the Ulm-Tubingen rivalry, recent games since 2003-2004 season have added to the competitive history between the two teams. Ulm and Tubingen split their first two official games since both teams returned to the Bundesliga. Both teams won on their opponents home floor in 2006-2007. In the final game of last season, Ulm's Bryan Lucas led the way with 16 points while EJ Gallup drilled 5 of 9 threes to drop 15 points. Jeff Gibbs added 10 points 12 rebounds for Ulm. Overall, Ulm shot 42% from the floor, 52% (12-23) from the foul line and 32% (9-28) from three. For Tubingen, AJ Moye topscored with 30 points while C Rasko Katic added 22 points 15 rebounds. As a team Tubingen hit 58% from the floor, and (54%) 7-13 from three. A key factor for the Tigers was their offensive production in the paint where they made 67% of their shots 23-34. Interestingly, Ulm also had 34 attempts in the lane but converted 18 (53%). Tubingen also outrebounded Ulm 44-35. Click the links below for Game Summaries from recent Ulm v Tubingen rivalry games:
2007-2008 Preseason Fritz & Macziol Cup
2006-2007 May 12th Game Summary
2006-2007 January 14th Game Summary
In 2004-2005 Tubingen played in the Bundesliga while Ulm remained in the 2.Bundesliga South. The two teams met only in the preseason at Ulm's Fritz & Macziol Classic. In 2005-2006, ratiopharm Ulm enjoyed their 2.Bundesliga South Championship season while Tubingen battled in the Bundesliga. Again, the two teams met only in the preseason at Ulm's Fritz & Macziol Cup. For the record, the Tigers captured the Ulm tournament title both preseasons.
ratiopharm Ulm post man Sean Sonderleiter!
2003-2004 saw the two teams battle head-to-head throughout the 2.Bundesliga South season as both chased the league championship. Tubingen was the favorite and the early season Double-overtime win in Ulm gave them the upper hand of playing the season in the lead. Meanwhile, ratiopharm Ulm hunted Tubingen for the remainder of the season and set up a second season-definining game in Tubingen in early March. Again, as that game tipped off, a second instant classic was born. After terrific resiliency in coming back twice, it was ratiopharm Ulm who had a chance to steal a win on the road. Tied 70-70 with last seconds ticking down, Ulm captain Emeka Erege found himself open on the right wing. Unfortunately, Emeka's three point look went halfway in and rimmed out sending the game to over time --- fitting for the season after their October Double-OT duel. Tubingen surged ahead early in the extra session before another outstanding Ulm comeback. Finally, in overtime, tied 84-84, Ulm executed an endline inbound play to score with under ten seconds to play. A defelected pass resulted in a loose ball scramble which led to officials calling Erege for his 5th foul. Emeka became Ulm's tragic hero --- scoring 30 points in an unbelieveable effort, the team saw the first glimpse of their captain's "Warriors heart". But Ulm was forced to watch Tubingen's Sebastian Maio walk the entire length of the floor to the foul line for two winning free throws with 2 seconds left in overtime. The 86-84 road loss was the second heartbreaker for the young Ulm team against Tubingen. The scars of 2003-2004 became 5 points and three overtimes. These classic games added to the tremendous history of the Ulm-Tubingen rivalry.
ratiopharm Ulm guard Rocky Trice!
As with every excellent rivalry, there is no love lost on or off the floor. Click on the following two links for clips from the Tubingen fan block chanting against Ulm:
click here Tubingen fan block video
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIhJySvE-w
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=mLZqxFuaKqA
Certainly, both teams are ready. And so are the fans! The Baden Wurtemburg Derby Atmosphere between ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen is extra special because of the intensity from the fans!
ratiopharm Ulm wing Sebastian Betz!
Every Baden Wurtemburg Derby between ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen is special. The Beko Bundesliga features several excellent rivalries, but the Derby between Ulm and Tubingen ranks among the top. Not only are the games important for the teams and fans, but both cities take pride in beating each other. As with every great rivalry, games between ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen are more about emotion and intensity and less about records or statistics. Everyone involved will give their all and games are a complete 40 minute basketball battle that often have a tendancy to go unsettled without overtime.
ratiopharm Ulm sets their sights on the next challenge in the Baden Wurtemburg Derby against rival Walter Tigers Tubingen. Certainly, Saturday nights Derby is a highlight of the season for both ratiopharm Ulm and Walter Tigers Tubingen. For basketball fans in the region, it's not only a Derby --- Ulm against Tubingen is THE DERBY! And as both teams are prepared to fight for bragging rights. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action this season on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
TAYLORHOOPS.COM GAME NOTES
Ulm Roster
Lee Humphrey: captain ready for Derby v Tubingen
Rocky Trice: Ulm impact player more integrated back with Ulm
Sean Sonderleiter: hardworking post man focused for 1st Derby
Coleman Collins: strong game v Gottingen/good matchup with Watts
Robin Benzing: ready for next Baden Wurtemburg Derby!
John Bryant: excellent matchup against Anatoly Kashirov
Travis Walton: ready for challenge v Tiger PGs
Sebastian Betz: has played in six Derby games v Tubingen
Per Gunther: focused for next game against rival Tigers
Christian Grosse: knows tradition of Baden Wurtemburg Derby!
Walt Baxley: ready to face best friend Whit Holcomb-Faye and Tigers
Michael Wenzl: young post man focused for first Derby v Tigers!
Head Coach: Mike Taylor
Asst Coach : Tunde Adekola
Location: Tubingen, Germany
Main Sponsor: Walter
Home Court: Paul Horn Arena
website: www.walter-tigers.de
2007-2008: 10-24 15th place Bundesliga
2008-2009: 14-20 14th place Bundesliga
2009-2010: 16-18 12th place Bundesliga
Offense: Tubingen has excellent inside-outside balance with Anatoly Kashirov providing quality on the block and three point shooting from power forward Dane Watts. Point guard Branislav Ratkovica directs the Tiger attack and excells in transition and ballscreens. Talented wing Chris Oliver leads the Tigers in scoring and the team features several good role players on the bench.
Defense: Tubingen enjoys physical post players with good size and experienced team defenders. More experienced than last seasons Tubingen team, this years Tiger squad plays a tough man to man defense and will mix in zones, presses and random traps into their game plan.
GM: Robert Wintermantel
Head Coach: Igor Perovic
Players:
Branislav Ratkovica: hardworking PG enjoying strong season
Ken Williams: athletic lefty post man from Ole miss
Chris Oliver: athletic forward leading scorer and rebounder
Dane Watts: 3pt shooting post making a difference for Tigers
Jay Thomas: excellent perimeter D/team player
Anatoly Kashirov: excellent center/great matchup v John Bryant
Radovan Markovic: 3pt shooter and talented wing player
Whit Holcomb-Faye: ready for Derby v Ulm and best friend Walt Baxley
Joe Herber: smart, talented G has worked his way back through adversity
Nicolai Simon: hardworking young G/solid role player for Tigers
